Crimson Tears
by Chronic Sleeper
Summary: The presence of one led to another. In an era of blood drenched change, Kaoru and Kenshin struggle with demons of their past, present, and unknown future. Set in the Bakumatsu, AU.
1. Prologue

A/N: Lol. I finally decided to start writing this. I finished the outline for this story years ago, but never got around to writing it. Hope you guys like it! v ; /

Disclaimer: I do not own any thing belonging to the franchise of Rurouni Kenshin or any of its affiliates. I'm only borrowing the characters for the use of constructing a story.

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**Prologue**

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Shinta was too young to understand.

Yet he did. He understood what was not meant for children to know. He was ridiculed by others for being slow, the village idiot; even as his mother and father told him he was not. But even then, he knew that he had been sold into slavery. Not that it was much of an oddity. After all, orphaned children would be too much trouble to feed, so why not sell them off for profit and help feed the village's other children?

However, he did not run away. Shinta knew that it was easy. Jump off the cart while it was moving, perhaps injuring his body with a few scrapes, and start running towards the trees. The time it would take for the slavers to stop the carts, he would have been long gone.

Shinta didn't do that though. He was conscious of the possibility, but the slavers had treated him more kindly than he had ever been treated in the past year after his family's death. The women had taken a liking in the small, almost fragile red head. They had taken him in, and in the end, they died for him.

So when they died, he was sad. An overwhelming feeling like the day his older brother finally succumbed to the plague long after his mother and father had. He had been left alone once again.

However, he did not intend to die like them. He kept his brother's last words close to his heart, gripping onto it. _Do not die._ Even someone as gentle and weak as a kitten would one day grow into a fierce creature.

Thinking he was easy prey, the bandits surrounded him, interested in his girly features. Their leers had sent fear down Shinta's spine, their hunger evident. However, he kept his heart steadfast, like his name, and used his tiny hands to grip the wakazashi of the nearest man with the strength of a farmer's child. The first one fell without knowledge of what had happened to him, his throat slit like the way his father would slice meat on a cutting board. Red spurted out, like a freshly cut fish belly, splattering on to Shinta's face.

It was warm.

Quick to realize what had happened, the bandits moved away, pulling out their blades. They shouted at each other and at the boy, broadcasting their anger. Yet Shinta didn't hear it, for something strange overtook him. The sight of red, red blood…

The other men fell also, but not by Shinta's blood coated blade. It was instant, the land covered in a rain of blood from all the men. As they crashed against the earth like broken dolls, the boy saw a massive figure in blinding white.

Thus Shinta's life passed on, from his family's hands to the slavers, and now, finally to his teacher.

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* * *

><p>.<p>

Ever since she had arrived at the main house, she had been ostracized. Her mother and father had died only a few years ago, forcing her to live with various relatives before the main family had finally taken her in. For publicity's sake, they had taken the daughter of a noble man and whore woman as an act of kindness. However, life for Kaoru was little more than inhuman slavery. Though in public, they were amiable to her; behind closed doors was only a world of darkness, pain, and fear.

The darkness was her friend. The family never liked darkness, especially the head. He feared it with complete and utter abandon. Thus it was believed to be punishment when a child of the family is banned to the dark rooms of the mansion, cell-like compartments with now windows other than a mouse hole and a shoji door. However, it had never been punishment for Kaoru, who realized quickly that all people within the mansion feared the dark to some degree, allowing her to escape, if only for a little bit, the harrowing abuse of the family.

The day's chores had been finished with minimal punishment. Kaoru had become quite skilled at avoiding attention and fading into the background, finishing the drudgery given to her by the servants and keeping silent. Once night fell and there was no more work, she quickly exiled herself to her tiny cell.

Curling up against a corner, Kaoru began to imagine. She always did this, to escape. She imagined with the imagination of a child, creating a world where there was no pain or fear. In that world Kaoru wasn't the daughter of a noble and a slave. In her imaginary world, Kaoru was a samurai. She would be honorable, kind, and strong, no longer fearing the snap of split bamboo. Instead, her blade would slice the split bamboo in half, preventing it from being used on anyone ever again. As a samurai, she would no longer be looked down upon by those of a higher class.

Days would pass like this, days upon days upon days. Kaoru no longer thought in weeks or months. The days blended into gray memories, the imagined world the only land full of colors.

However, one day, Kaoru stopped for a moment too long.

If it hadn't been then, it would have been then, it would've been later. The sons of the main head had been practicing with real swords that day, showing off their skills, with each boy attempting to outdo the other. Mesmerized by the gleam of beautifully tempered steel, Kaoru stopped for too long, unaware that her presence had been noticed until one of the sons grabbed the back of her worn kimono. The laughed, poking fun at her tiny figure, insulting her blood linage. To them, she was the daughter of a whore, not the daughter of their uncle. And thus she would receive her due as one.

Kaoru remembered thinking that it was a shame for those beautiful blades to be used by such people. And thus they were turned upon her, like ravaging savages, for she would play dummy to the sons' naked blades.

That day, Kaoru learned of something more important than safety. She learned survival. The sight of the blades had unleashed a terrifying monster from within the child, extinguishing the candle flames of the young sons like a dark tsunami.

For on that day, Kaoru learned of death, terrible, beautiful death.

And thus she ran, ran, ran, a hunted beast. Kaoru ran until she had lost herself. She ran for weeks, months perhaps, she had long forgotten about time. It seemed that she would die, having survival instincts or not. And like an accepting beast, she sat against a tree, awaiting death.

Fatigue consumed her, darkening her vision until the last thing she saw was a bright, bright red.

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	2. Chapter I

A/N: Thanks for all the positive responses! Urk. If any characters are OOC, please tell. I haven't read the manga or seen the anime in a long time. The first few chapters are just mood setters, so I hope getting 1ooo word chapters or less aren't a problem. Once I'm further into the story, the chapters will get longer.

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Disclaimer: I do not own any thing belonging to the franchise of Rurouni Kenshin or any of its affiliates. I'm only borrowing the characters for the use of constructing a story.

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Chapter I

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It was wrong.

As Kaoru struggled to open her eyes, she felt…wrong, as if some strange existence had latched onto her brain and tried to swallow her. However, the feeling soon dissipated once she grasped onto her mind. Like gradual dawn, it fled, wearing off.

As the thickness in her mind disappated, Kaoru realized that she was laying on a futon. From the texture and fabric, it was hers. She was in the small room off the side of the main house that had served as her room since she had reached the age of thirteen. However, she could not remember getting there. Rather, she remembered –

Kaoru sat up immediately, the speed causing her head to swish like water in a bowl. Stopping, she waited until the feeling disappeared and proceeded to move at a slower pace.

She had been drugged.

Why had she been? Kaoru's mind wandered, attempting to extract the most recent memories prior to her awakening. She remembered Kenshin.

Yes. They had been together, hadn't they? Her fellow student and best friend had been acting strangely that night, inviting her to a drink. Kaoru remembered agreeing, trusting him as she always did. They had talked a bit, like the old friends they were. Kenshin had gone through memories of their past, speaking as if remembering something from a distant world.

_I want to protect the weak._ He had said that night. _The only way is to join the fight._

Kaoru remembered dropping her cup, remembered her slow boiling rage - remembered trying to tell him that it was futile. To her, joining the war was hypocritical, completely against Kenshin's own ideals. If he truly wanted to protect the weak, then he wouldn't use the art of satsujiken they had learned since they were children. Didn't he remember? Shishou had once told them that the way of the sword could only bring about murder. But she couldn't, she had only been able to sit there and watch as the sake cup shatter against the table. Had it been any other time - a joke - she would have just gotten angry and hit him with the nearest sword-like item. However, he was serious. She hadn't expected him to act in such a fashion. Finally, when she could speak, she couldn't, it was as if her tongue had grown thick, her body weakening along with it.

Gripping the table, the last thing she had saw before falling into darkness was Kenshin - his face empty and his eyes sorrowful.

_Kenshin had drugged her_.

"Why?" Kaoru murmured quietly, crescendoing with a growing intensity, "why, why, why, why?"

Had he not trusted her enough that he had to make sure she wouldn't be able to follow him? Did he really choose to abandon Shishou's teaching and go and fight? Had she known...

As her mind darkened, Kaoru found herself wishing to hit something, to scream, to let out her building rage and anger. She wanted. But she couldn't. Closing her eyes, Kaoru began to focus on her breathing, forcing herself to meditate until the black rage subsided. With the loss of mindless anger came the return of her sharpened senses, enough to tell that there was another presence outside. Standing up as well as she could, Kaoru made her way through the open shoji door and towards the back. Her teacher was sitting underneath the moonlit cherry blossom tree, drinking himself into a stupor. Not that he could...

"Shishou..."

He sat in the shadows, his form large and imposing even with his lazy posture and drinking. He always was, compared to Kaoru, being a girl, and Kenshin, a boy with small stature. His aura was solemn, as if he was the carrier of despairing news. Kaoru shifted, making her way to her teacher, attempting to walk like a half way decent student despite the side effects of the drug.

"Stay down, baka. There is no reason to have my only disciple floundering around like a fish cut."

Stopping at her shishou's command, Kaoru took a second before she could understand what her teacher had said. Only? - As Kaoru opened her mouth to say something, her teacher held up a hand to silence her.

"That idiot is no longer my student." Hiko grunted as he took another drink, noting Kaoru's momentary confusion. "He came to me last night to continue his idiocy."

"He…He went through with it?" Kaoru spoke softly, kneeling down on the rough ground with her hands in her lap. She didn't need her shishou's confirmation. Spending years with her fellow student and only friend and the more recent action he had taken, she knew Kenshin well enough that his headstrong ideals would cause him to do something drastic. However, for Kenshin to expel himself without a thought even after what their teacher had said…Kaoru's anger flared. He could have at least told her what he was going to do instead of throwing it out after she had taken in so much of the drug. Didn't he know how foolish his course of action was? Why…

"Control your temper. Have you forgotten all you've been taught?" Hiko snapped irritably at his student. She capped her anger immediately, closing off the dangerous rage. Finding a sudden disinterest in alcohol, the man stood up, turning away from Kaoru. "From now on, as the only heir to the style, you'll find your training increased. I trust you can handle it."

"But-" Hiko turned slightly, his glare brokering no protests from his student. Kaoru looked down, her hands gripping the front of her hakama tightly, her heart beating strongly in her ears like incessant drumming. To think she would be chosen as the next master because of Kenshin's rash actions – Kaoru did not know what to do. He had always been the better fighter, the better student. He should have inherited...

"Do not worry about arbitrary things." Hiko spoke as he read Kaoru's emotion. He turned around, his back to the moonlight, his large frame looming over the kneeling Kaoru. "Focus on training."

Kaoru nodded, unclenching her hands. Kenshin had chosen his path. She would choose hers.

Standing up, she found that the drug had worn off. Kaoru made her way back to her room with the intention of getting in a few more hours of rest before the dawn would come, knowing full well that she would need it.

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	3. Chapter II

A/N: And I'm back! Sorry for taking so long. In the past few months, I was being brutally murdered by series of standardized tests! -bows head in forgiveness-

Anyway, here's the next installment of CT. Sorry if it sounds like a mile long monologue for both characters. There hasn't been much charater-character interaction yet - mainly because I'm a horrible dialogue writer. –hides under a table-

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Disclaimer: I do not own any thing belonging to the franchise of Rurouni Kenshin or any of its affiliates. I'm only borrowing the characters for the use of constructing a story.

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Chapter II

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_How long had it been?_

The tiny, fragile sake bowl was held steady in his hand, the bird delicate earthenware looking as if it would fracture with a shake. The liquor was calm, even - obscuring the unsettling feeling caused by the seemingly harmless surface.

Kenshin had arrived in the spring, leaving his shishou during the cold winter. His arrival felt like something from a far off time, as if in the past months he had not lived for almost half a year in Kyouto, but, rather, a hundred.

It had been so easy to join the cause. In the beginning, it had been so clear, he would be able to help the people by joining the Ishin Shishi. His naïve ideals would help him create a world where the weak were protected, a world where children like Kaoru-

He stopped, mentally strangling the thought. He had promised himself that the day he left, he wouldn't face her until he had accomplished what he meant to. It sounded like a poor excuse to his kouhai, and it was. Kenshin wouldn't and couldn't excuse himself for his actions.

Yet as the days passed, he found himself becoming more and more detached with reality. The night mares had begun after his first kill, tormenting him with growing numbers. The only thing that kept him from losing himself was his training. However, training only went so far…

Looking down, Kenshin almost smashed the cup against the table in an unpleasant startle. It swished and circled like some exotic fish inside the tiny basin as he quickly downed the sake, attempting to forget what he had imagined. The taste was bitter, strong, but bitter, just what he had needed. It washed away the metallic taste he had in the back of his throat, the strength of the alcohol temporarily burning away the illusion.

The bottle drained quickly, too quickly. It took almost all of his will power not to order more. He understood the importance of staying sober and knew that drinking would only hide the problem for a moment while endangering his life.

Kenshin stood up and made his way out of the tavern, crossing through the beaten wooden frame of the door like a shadow, out of place, yet hardly noticed by the other patrons of the tavern as he slipped out. His senses flared outwards as he walked into the dying light, scanning the area for dangerous ki. Finding nothing, he began to make his way back to the inn.

The roads were clearing as the more respectable areas of the city began to thin and fade out into the dark, closing themselves within their homes and away from the dark rumors that struck fear into the population. For many, the day was ending, yet for Kenshin, he knew that his work was only just beginning. Silent and deadly, he slipped into the shadows of one of the houses, moving out of sight as he suppressed his aura. Not a moment too soon, two figures made their way down the small street of the city.

These men were dressed in glaringly bright blue, garishly mocking in the fading light. Had it been any other men, such garbs would have incited laughter from the citizens of Kyouto. Yet these men wore it with an air of solemnity that seemed to transform the ridiculous dress into respectable uniform.

Kenshin knew these two men well enough through their reputation. Swordsmen like Okita Souji and Hajime Saitou were not to be trifled with. Though most fighters were nothing compared to him, their auras suggested that if not alone, together they could do some damage to him. Tall and lean, Hajime Saitou was nicknamed the Wolf of Mibu and it was not a name that could be taken lightly. It was rare for him to be so obvious.

The moment they passed, Kenshin moved, using the darker alleys between the buildings to make his way back to the inn. It was evening and the inn was busy with men wearing swords crowding the tables, talking and drinking. A rowdy bunch, as they were known to be, however, at the sight of Kenshin, quiet spread like an ocean wave. It was not of respect, not completely even if there was any, rather, it was fear. Something about the small, redheaded man inspired absolute fear within the hearts of these fighters, fear and spite. To them, he was a monstrous killing machine, something that could not be considered human. He passed them, like a silent wraith, traveling without sound down the worn hallway of the inn.

The room he stayed in was spartan, bare of anything other than an unused futon folded up in a corner. The shoji were worn, opening to the outside courtyard, and the entire room hardly looked lived in. The only sign of human occupation was the lack of dust and extra sets of clothing inside of the closet space.

He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. Sleep never came easy anymore, driving him to insomnia. Even conscious, Kenshin could still see it, blood. He would forever be covered in it, no matter how hard he scrubbed his body of the scent.

Just as he began drifting off into light sleep, he heard footsteps - cautious, quiet, and perhaps fearful tabi feet. Though alerted and fully awake, he feigned sleep, a waiting predator. There was a nervous knock, tentative and soft.

"E-excuse me. A letter for Himura-san."

The voice was female's – delicate and trembling in fear.

"Leave it." The girl squeaked as she quickly slipped the letter through the door, frightened yet again. As Kenshin stood up to retrieve the letter, somewhere in his mind, Kenshin found his lowered and dark voice disturbing. When had his speech become so sparing and sharp?

The letter crumpled in his hand, the name and rice paper burning in the light. Sighing, Kenshin sat against the wall of his room, sword cradled gently against his body. It was tiring. Every day seemed to suck out the residual life force in his body, haunting him with faces of the dead. '_Is this really what I want?_'

'_Yes. Yes it is_.' He ground his teeth as he thought, blue flashed in his mind's eye, calming the seemingly endless waves of dying voices. What was he thinking? Grinding his nails against his palms until they bled, Kenshin silently berated himself for thinking of such a thing.

Feeling older than ever, the young assassin stood up and exited his room, silently making his way into the night.

* * *

><p>"Again."<p>

Kaoru winced as she stood up once more. The difference between her and Kenshin was more than obvious now. What took Kenshin incredible ease came to Kaoru only through dirt, pain, blood, and tears. However, even then she refused to give up. Shifting her sword back into position, she launched the attack at Shishou once more. This time, it showed clearer results as the blade and her body disappearing from normal vision. The nine spots were hit simultaneously, the practice sword slicing her Shishou's clothing once or twice as he just avoided it. She still had a long way to go, but was keen on not slacking off.

"Tch. You're getting better, wench." Her Shishou didn't look the slightest fazed by her attack as he crossed his arms. "Though work on your speed a little, shrimp. No matter how good you are at manipulating ki, it's useless if you can't dodge or react to it."

Kaoru frowned slightly. So it was her speed then. That would mean more laps around the mountain in the morning and evening. Being born a girl, she knew full well that she had to work twice to thrice as hard as other people in order to keep up with Kenshin strength and speed-wise. Though she was talented with a sword, most of the results of her training came from hard work.

"Pay _attention_you damn brat!" The slash came quickly, hardly giving Kaoru a grace period to block the attack. The force of the blow sent her skidding as she landed hard against her back only centimeters away from the edge of the cliff. Numbness that flooded her right arm was a testament of her teacher's strength. "Are you really ready to wash your neck? Sparring's over! Ten thousand swings before your meal!"

Shishou told her ten, but Kaoru knew well enough that she'd be doing twenty.

* * *

><p>A year had passed quickly with her training. During the grueling year, Kaoru had gotten used to the loss of the once always present aura of her fellow student. It seemed strange now to think that she would be back with him if all went well.<p>

The mountain she had spent so many years in seemed far away now, tiny, against the horizon. This coming summer would mark her fourteenth year, or fifteenth, counting the new years. She was far old enough to be on her own.

"Still. Did Shishou really have to kick me out in the middle of winter?" Sighing, Kaoru resisted the urge to facepalm and picked up a twig to poke the tiny fire. It sputtered half heartedly at the tinder, seemingly cowering from Kaoru's bad temper. "Damn old man. I only blunted my _sword_-"

Muttering darkly at her predicament, Kaoru continued to poke the flames mercilessly. For the first time in eight years, she was out of the mountain by herself. "Come to think of it...I really don't know how to get to Kyouto."

Or live by herself, for the matter. Only in the recent year had she bothered to leave the mountain and frequent the village at the base of it. Since Kenshin left, there was no one to fetch her Shishou's sake, or food. Between the two of them, they managed to scratch up meals from Kaoru's horrid cooking and her teacher's idiotic taste of 'sake makes any food taste good'.

The chill began settling, making Kaoru wish she had taken her stupid teacher's cloak of succession. No matter, the haori was enough for now, now that the snow had stopped falling for a few nights. But any longer, she was sure the only thing she'd achieve would be freezing her ass off, never mind making her way to Kyouto.

Slowly drifting to sleep, Kaoru barely sensed the auras of an approaching wagon. She stood up immediately, the snow cascading from her body as the horses neighed from her disturbance.

"Whoa! Whoa! Down, down Suki, down Toki!" The driver ordered sharply as he reigned the horses. The settled down and stopped, the feet clopping against the dirt road. Peering at Kaoru from under his straw hat, the cart man calmed a little.

"Damn. Thought you were just a buddha statue covered in snow. Gave me quite a scare. Don't do that lad, it isn't the brightest thing, you know?"

_Lad?_ Kaoru fought her temper as her inner voice shouted offendedly. _I'm a full grown woman! Minus the chest._..

"Why the sudden stop?"

Kaoru looked up, finally noticing the woman and the young boy riding on the cart along with all the cases and things piled there. The woman excluded a beautiful and graceful presence, completely tossing all of Kaoru's notions of ever becoming a lady out the window. Her lips turned up a little at the sight of Kaoru as she pulled the purple sash around her even closer to ward off the cold. The young boy sitting next to the woman watched Kaoru in curiosity.

"I see. It seems we've found a stray puppy." The woman's humorous lilting tone was easily carried through the air as she greeted Kaoru. Shaking herself out of the strange entrancement, Kaoru realized that she could ask for directions.

"Ano...Do you know which way it is to Kyouto?"

The woman laughed delicately for a moment before answering, her dark almond shaped eyes kind as her smile. "Yes, my brother and I are on our way there. Would you like to come with us?"

Kaoru couldn't believe her ears at all. The woman was offering to take a completely unknown person along with her and her brother. She wasn't sure whether to praise her as kind and thoughtful or wonder if the lady was completely unattuned to danger. However, if she didn't take the woman's offer, she would most likely end up wandering the wilderness of Japan for months. She nodded and the woman turned to the driver and conversed with him in a low voice. Moments later, Kaoru found herself riding on the back of the cart, next to the boy.


	4. Chapter III

A/N: Bwahahahahaha. Err. Well. I'm twisting the timeline to fit the story and keeping most of the events and stuff as vague as I can. So ignore all my out of order discrepancies and stuff. It also turned out that Kenshin was actually not an assassin when he first arrived in Kyoto, but a recruit for a year. Which is, to tell the truth, relatively convenient for me, so don't mind the small edits.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin aside from a few volumes. Oh, how I wish I could...Then maybe I could do something to raise the fandom's popularity so I can have more people to bounce ideas off of instead of getting weird 'what are you talking about' looks.

Chapter III

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The trip to Kyouto was relatively uneventful - if one could call the interaction between Kaoru and Enishi such. Tomoe smiled as she schooled her face to hide her mirth as she watched the two boys interact. The young swordsman - for since he had no lord nor was taught in any matter of the way of the bushido, he was not a samurai - and her younger brother were once again arguing. From the eyes of an outsider, one could have assumed that the two were old friends from their bickering.

"Why the heck is your blade in such a sorry state? Don't you even know how to respect good steel?" At the sight of the young Yukishiro examining her katana, Kaoru snatched it back with a glare, holding the sword high above her, blue eyes narrowed at the offending youngster. Enishi glared back with equal force, huffing irritably at the treatment of the katana.

"It's _not_ in a sorry state at all. She was made like this." It was true. The katana she had on her and the katana wrapped in her pack were sisters of the same smith. She had spent most of her life and training with the one with a blade, being cut just as many times as days she was alive by the thing. The one she was currently holding out of the brat's reach was younger, barely a month old, and made with the intent to protect and not take life. And because of it, the steel was much stronger than normal blades. However, Enishi's response was simply raising an eyebrow.

"What use is a blade that can't cut?" He said with a dismissive shrug. "Unless it's for show or you're too scared to kill-ACK!" Enishi yelped as he plunged forwards into the cloth in the basket in front of him as the young swordsman delivered a sharp tap to the back of his head with the sheathed blade, making obvious her displeasure at what he was speaking.

"Not everything's about killing. My shishou always told me that the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu was meant for defense rather than offense, under its first principle - hence why I don't kill." '_Well, with less dignity and more like drank-all-the-sake-kegs-that-couldn't-jump-out-of- his-way-fast-enough drunk...Which were noble deaths, I think, if they managed to get something half way decent out of his eternal stupor._'

"Kamiya-san, I agree with. Enishi-" Kaoru looked up at the sound of her just recently chosen surname to see the older woman's head turned slightly at them from her spot in the front. She gave the two young teens a small smile as they listened to her raptly, her dark eyes slightly crinkled. "-I do not think in the slightest that killing should ever be praised. For what use is there to end a life before considering if it can change?"

This seemed to have silenced Enishi quite effectively, who was now diligently studying the floorboards of the cart. The words, though soft and kind, held the same weight as a harsh scolding that Kaoru was glad that it wasn't directed towards her. Yukishiro Tomoe at first glance seemed to be almost a ghost in her saintly presence, yet since Kaoru had first met her, the older woman proved to hold a more solid backbone than any blade forged with the best steel. She easily wielded her tongue with an excellency akin to a master swordsman that could have put her shishou to shame - something Kaoru, who had been subjected to such torture all her life, could only sit and admire.

"What brings you to travel to Kyoto?"

Kaoru hugged her knees as Tomoe questioned her. Looking out to the road ahead, Kaoru spoke, briefly pausing, debating whether to answer the question or avoid it. However, she settled with mostly truth, understanding that it would make her feel guilt should she lie. "I am searching for someone - someone...important to me that has left for Kyoto. We have been together since we were young."

A slight sadness passed through Kaoru's eyes as she spoke, not unnoticed under Tomoe's sharp eyes. Keeping her voice low, Tomoe sought to soothe the young man in front of her whose melancholy tugged at her heart. She understood what it was like to be separated from a loved one, which was stamped so clearly on Kaoru's frame, whether the swordsman knew it or not. "I am sure you will find her, Kamiya-kun. You are welcomed to stay at my family's home in Kyouto, should you wish to."

Tomoe's years of rigorous training was what managed to keep her face schooled as she resisted the urge to chuckle as she watched Kaoru's eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh no! No, the person I'm searching for is a fellow student of my teacher - and, ano, I don't think I should really impose on you and the hospitality you've been showing to me..." Kaoru had turned beet red as she attempted to clear up the misconception, only to realize she had probably made it worse. '_Tomoe-san had thought...oh better not think of that..._'

"It is quite alright, Kamiya-san. The house will need help cleaning and repairing and Enishi-chan will need someone to keep him fit for the duration of his stay in Kyouto. So I can't say my offer is completely out of good will."

Kaoru sighed slightly as she crossed her arms, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her gi with her sword cradled in her arms. She found herself wondering again if the woman was completely desensitized to danger. 'Surely children raised in higher class families should have had at least some sort of conditioning to being nice to unknown people. I suppose that I could, well, stay and help.' She mentally thought it out as she leaned back against the edge of the cart. '_I should probably keep an eye on her for her safety._' Not to mention, Kaoru had been so absorbed in finding Kenshin that she hadn't thought much farther into it. She had barely enough money for a meal, let alone a place to lodge.

"Thank you." Kaoru spoke sheepishly. "If possible, I wish to accept, and I will do my best to help."

Kaoru passed the rest of the time in feigned sleep, her senses alert in her quiet mediation, realizing that she really hadn't rested since she left her home in the mountains. The boy had tired himself out with fighting with Kaoru and had taken to napping with his head snuggled in his beloved sister's lap. She had done her best to cover the little information she knew of the outside world from the pestering of Enishi.

It seemed to be hours before the gates to the city of Kyouto raised itself into the faraway horizon, Kaoru feeling it before seeing it as the cart drew closer to the checkpoint. Ahead of them was a small line of travelers and merchants, all intent on entering the city before sunset. It was well know that the country of Japan was at war, and it was tremendously safer to be inside the city than to remain outside where bandits and deserters could easily ambush a small group and kill and/or steal from. A small swell of anticipation grew within her from the pit of her stomach at the thought of finally reaching Kyouto...

'_Kenshin's there. I know it. He _has_ to be._' Her hands clenched the fabric of her hakama, hiding the small tremble that went though her body as she attempted to keep her ki under strict control. She had arrived. After a year and a half, she could finally confront Kenshin and from him extract the answers she had been seeking.

'_Why did you..._' her mind trailed off as she sighed softly, unwilling to finish the question. The cart had passed through the entrance gate and was making its way down a path, directed by Tomoe who was giving the driver instructions. The district they had arrived in was surprisingly affluent compared to the rest of the houses, stands, ins, and such that they had passed earlier. They stopped in front of a high and thickly walled off residence, in which a servant carrying a small lantern to light up the twilight was waiting. At the sight of Tomoe, she bowed, helping her down the cart. Enishi, still drowsy, clambered after as the cart driver busily unloaded the luggage, Kaoru helping.

"Tomoe-san, tea and some refreshments have been prepared."

The servant spoke quietly to Tomoe as she cast a nervous glance at the youth that had come in after them. Omitsu had come from a long line of servants that served the Yukishiro household, choosing to stay even as the household fortunes dwindled. She had watched the two siblings grow up from the day they were born, binding herself to them with a maternal instinct. Tomoe could only smile off the older woman's concern before speaking quietly. "Thank you, Omitsu-san. Your kindness and selflessness is always greatly appreciated. Why don't you sit with us at the table and bring me up to speed on the happenings of Kyouto?"

Omitsu fugitively glanced around, as if fearful of being heard, before leading Tomoe and the still half asleep Enishi to the dining room. In hushed tones, she spoke, "I fear it has only gotten worse. There are rumors of killers walking the streets at night, thirsting for blood. The officials turn a blind eye, while people hide away in fear of being accused of supporting the rebels." Sitting the two down, she quickly busied her hands with a teapot. "People die daily, there is nowhere safe outside the walls of the dwelling. Your father already requested Kiyosato-san to marry you right away, in order to pull him safely out of this madness."

Hearing her beloved's name, Tomoe grew solemn. The young, idealistic Akira had left to join the Tokugawa in order to defend Japan against the foreign invasion and rebels despite her protests. She only hoped that what her father had proposed would be enough to convince him to if not leave the war completely, to resign to a less active role. Tomoe looked up to see worry in Omitsu's eyes, which she quickly responded with a small, but reassuring smile. "I am sure Akira-san would not disagree with this arrangement."

The other woman only nodded, leaving unspoken worries hanging in the air between them as she picked up a cup to sip from. Omitsu felt a slight prickle on the back of her neck, turning to face the gaze of the young man that had come along with her mistress and young master. He looked to be only a few years older than Enishi, but still younger than Tomoe. Yet despite his youthful age there was some some strange quality about the man deep within his eyes that made her shift uncomfortably. Eyes of blue spoke of gajin - of demon. Realizing that Omitsu was staring at her, Kaoru turned her head slightly, hiding the accursed eyes under her bangs self-consciously.

"Omitsu-san, I believe I have yet to introduce you." Tomoe's sharp eyes had noticed the interaction between and spoke quickly to dispel any doubts of Kaoru that Omitsu had, introducing to the old housekeeper the swordsman. "He will be boarding with us until he has found a place to stay in Kyouto. In return he will he helping with the house repairs and helping Enishi keep in shape while he is away from his training back home."

Omitsu bowed politely to Kaoru, still feeling a twinge of unease. Though she understood that Kaoru would not harm them, there was a sense of a barely chained animal that slid under those blue eyes - eyes of demon. Watching as the tea and small candies disappeared quickly, she slid open the shoji door next to her to bring out the evening meal. Omitsu was thankful for her foresight of making more than the usual amount of rice, thinking that Enishi would be ravenous from the long travel. It served as both a distraction and a way to cover her anxiety.

Kaoru bowed her head at a slight angle, keeping her eyes cast downwards, as the housekeeper dealt out the meal. Self-consciousness that she had not felt in years began to creep in, reminding her of barely remembered days. Her knew that her eyes were foreign, demonic even. It was a memory forced into habit by endless pointing and weary looks that no amount of forgetting would ever get rid of. Grasping the thought, Kaoru buried the memory for now, distracting herself with focused concentration on the rice. It smelled delicious and was soft in her mouth, the vegetables and fish adding flavor. It reminded her of the meals she and shishou used to have, when Kenshin-

'_Well, at least it's better than what you normally make,_' thought number two cut off quickly as she idly made an examination of her surroundings. '_I still believe that patch of grass that suffered what you call miso soup is now inhospitable to even weedy life._' Which had led to Kaoru chasing a certain redhead she refused to think about around the mountain for _daring_ to drink something so dangerous.

"Is there something amusing?" Kaoru looked up to see Tomoe looking at her with a bemused expression. Kaoru shook her head as she set down her bowl and chopsticks, the rice already gone.

"No, I was just reminded of a past memory. Thank you very much, Omitsu-san," She gave the woman a small bow. "It was delicious."

The meal quickly disappeared and Omitsu shuffled over to pick up the emptied plates. Kaoru was led to a guest room and told to rest as Tomoe helped her brother up to make his way to his own room. Sliding the shoji door closed behind her, Kaoru examined the new surroundings. It was plain, but clean and removed of dust. She opened the closet to find a thick futon and blankets, fit for the cold weather and a place to set her belongings in. She only had one change of clothing, which she slipped into, spreading out her travel worn ones to air out before taking them to wash tomorrow morning.

Sighing softly, Kaoru curled up under the blankets sword held close and drifted into a light sleep.


End file.
